Black Bean Mac & Cheese

I love macaroni and cheese. I prefer to make it myself or I ramp up the blue box stuff by adding sharp cheddar, black pepper, and ground mustard and topping it with breadcrumbs before sticking it under the broiler. It's a quick fix for my constant cheese cravings, but I usually feel guilty after I eat it. There's not much in the way of health benefits to gooey cheese and pasta. But when you add black beans, well, the guilt factor definitely goes down! I was terrified as I was adding the black beans to this. I kept thinking I was messing up my yummy mac & cheese. But it ended up being really yummy! I won't always make my mac this way, but I will occasionally add some hot sauce, black beans, and cilantro to my blue box mac.

Black Bean Mac & Cheese

1 box of mac and cheese (or make your own)

1 can of black beans, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon of hot sauce (or to taste)

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Chopped cilantro for topping

Make the mac according to the package directions. Turn the burner to low, stir in shredded cheddar and allow to melt. Meanwhile, heat your drained and rinsed black beans in the microwave until warmed through (a minute and a half should do it). Add hot sauce to the mac. Gently stir in black beans. Serve with chopped cilantro sprinkled on top. Enjoy!